ARTILLERY TRADITIONS

2008-07-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

THE GODS OF WAR

INDEX

1. Introduction

1. Artillery before gunpowder

1. Gunpowder

2. Birth of the Gun

2. Early Gun

2. The Barrel of a Gun

2. The Bore

3. The Piece

3. Spiking the Gun

3. Naming of Guns

3. Bombardier

3. First Permanent Force Artillery

3. Pride in Gun Drill

4. Formation of the Regiment of Artillery

4. Right of the Line

5. Artillery Motto

5. The number One and his Rammer

5. The Gunner Officer

6. Batman or Servants

6. Discipline

6. Artillery Colours

6. The Gun Park

6. Lanyards on the Right Shoulder

7. Black Badges

7. Corpse Colours

7. The Gunner and the Horse

8. Regimental Traditions

8. Artillery Flash

8. Saint Barbara

ARTILLERY TRADITIONS

INTRODUCTION

Tradition is born of many things. It usually consists of tales, beliefs or practices handed down from generation to generation.

Regiments are like families. As men come and go, so customs are handed down, sometimes odd customs which might no seem almost meaningless, but which made sense when they originated. These traditions hold a unit together and instil in it a pride and “Esprit de Corps” unique to a unit.

Gunners are particularly fortunate in having an almost world-wide tradition to weld them into a unique body of men – men who are proud to be known as gunners. The forerunners of today’s gunners were not soldiers in the accepted sense and, for well over a century, by virtue of its origin and characteristics, the artillery developed as something of a distinct – almost separate force. Consequently, its members have always felt themselves somewhat superior to the ordinary soldier.

These traditions have led gunners to develop a justifiable sense of superiority over the ages, for they have serve the Gun, which bears the title “Ultima Rati Regum” – the last argument of kings, and which provides firepower far beyond the capacity of all other weapons.

Note: It was Louis XV who ordered that all French guns bear, in bold lettering the above Latin inscription.

ARTILLERY BEFORE GUNPOWDER

“Gunpowder “and “artillery” are today regarded as inseparable terms, but this has not always been the case. It seems that, until the middle of the 16^th century, any weapon which discharged a projectile of any kind by any means was termed a piece of artillery. In France and England, during the 13^th century, the term “artillery” meant “bows and arrows”. In 1537 Henry VIII granted a charter to “Guylde of St George” later to become the Honourable Artillery Company – a fraternity “to be overseers of the science of artillery, that is to witt long bowes, tross bowes and handgonnes for the better increase of the defence of our realm”, and in 1571 a chronicler writes that “Artillery nowadays is taken for two things, guns and bowes”.

GUNPOWDER

Great discoveries and inventions are seldom the work of one man alone. Men, inspired by the same desire, work independently toward a common end, and one of them, whether by luck, superior knowledge or both, will eventually produce the finished article. Such was the case with gunpowder. Claims for its invention have come from all over the world, but the honour seems to fall to the English friar and alchemist, Roger Bacon (1214 – 1284). In any case, his recipe is the earliest known to us.

The exact date of the invention is uncertain, since Bacon did not make his discovery public, but instead concealed his findings in cryptic writings only recently deciphered. One of these works suggests that the discovery was made in 1242 or even earlier. Bacon apparently used his gunpowder to make crackers for children and, although he may have envisaged its use in guns, he did not live to see it implemented in this way.

BIRTH OF THE GUN

Within twenty years the secret was made public, but it was not until 1313 that a German monk, Berthold Schwartz, who lived in Flanders, made the first gun to use gunpowder as a propellant. These guns were called Vasi or Pot de Fer and comprises an arrow being shot out of a vase-shaped powder receptacle, fired by means of a hot iron applied to a touch-hole. This method was to be employed, with minor improvements, for the next 500 years.

EARLY GUNS

The new weapon could not fire projectiles of equal mass to those fired by a catapult, trebuchet and other machines, and consequently did not supersede them for a hundred years or more. Guns are believed to have been used in a campaign against the Scots in 1327, as they were written of as “Crakys of War”.

A report of the battle of Cresy in 1346 speaks of the English using bombards “which with fire throw little balls to frighten and destroy horses”.

THE BARREL OF A GUN

The need for bigger guns eventually led to the manufacturing of cannon from wrought iron. This method of manufacturing is typified by a cannon made for Henry VI in 1440. It consisted of 14 long bars welded together in a circle like staves in a barrel (hence the term “barrel”) and strengthened by hoops of iron shrunk on to staves.

THE BORE

In 1739 an innovation made it possible to cast a gun in a single solid mass and bore the chamber afterwards (hence the term “bore”).

THE PIECE

Early cannon had no special carriages. A Scottish Act of Parliament in 1456, for instance, speaks of “Carts of War” for conveying light artillery.

Guns were known as ordnance, and cannon were thus individually called piece of ordnance – hence the word “piece” as applied to the gun today.

SPIKING THE GUNS

When all efforts to prevent guns from being captured by the enemy failed, such guns were spiked. Spiking is an artillery term dating back many years and it refers to the old method of driving a spike or wedge into the touch-hole or vent so that the gun could not be fired, rendering it completely useless to the enemy.

NAMING OF GUNS

Guns were originally named after various kinds of monsters, according to their size and individual futures. Mortars, used extensively by the artillery, were named after the German “meerthier”, meaning “seabeast”.

In Germany heavy guns (bombards) gave way as early as 1385 to lighter ones mounted on wood and supported by a fork or hook, hence the name “Hakenbusche” corrupted by the English to “Hackbutt”, “Hagbush” and finally “Harquebus”. The piece was later improved by the fitting of a stock, and the whole weapon was reduced is scale and made small enough to be carried by hand. Thus the rifle was in fact developed from the gun, although the reverse might commonly be supposed.

The name “Howitzer”, derived from the German “Haubitze”, came into use in about 1750 and provides another example of the process described above.

BOMBARDIER

The rank of Bombardier is exclusively an artillery rank. It was created in 1686, and holders of this rank worked directly under the Fire-workers (Firemasters’ Assistant), performing specialised duty with mortars.

FIRST PERMANENT FORCE ARTILLERY

Henry VIII, King of England (1485 – 1509), was keenly interested in artillery and formed the first permanent force of gunners when he appointed a “Master Gunner” and twelve paid “Gunners” at the Tower of London. It was their duty to look after equipment and to train partly-paid civilians in the art of gunnery.

When artillery was required for a campaign, it was organised as a “trayne” to which certain pieces of ordnance were allotted, together with “Master Gunners”, “Mates” and “Matrosses”, the latter being Gunners’ Assistants. Wherever the “trayne” went, it was followed by wagons carrying all the equipment and comforts of live, including camp followers. The phrase “Son of a Gun”, originally a term of abuse, is suppose to have sprung from this practice.

PRIDE IN GUN DRILL

Today’s gunners take great pride in themselves, their drill and their guns. This was so even in the 1500’s, despite the fact that the artillery man was unpopular amongst members of the other arms, and regarded by the infantry man as conceited and assuming the airs of a superior person moving in higher spheres.

At the same time, gunners had an evil reputation all over Europe for profanity and swearing, a failing attribute to their commerce with “infernal substance”. The real reason was probably that, being less perfectly organised, they were less amenable to discipline. Nevertheless, the gunners took great pride in themselves and their guns.

Then, as today, a definite drill was laid down for working the guns in action, with thirteen words of command for the wielding of ladle and sponge. A gun crew consisted of three men: the gunner, his mate (mattross) and an odd-job man who gave general assistance.

The number of little refinements enjoined upon them indicates that artillerymen took abundant pride in themselves. Thus the withdrawal of the least quantity of powder with the ladle after loading was esteemed a “foul fault for a gunner to commit”, while the spilling of even a few grains on the ground was severely reprobated, “it being a thing uncommonly for a gunner to trample powder under his feet”.

Lastly, every gunner was exhorted to “set forth himself with as comely a posture and grace as he can: for agility and comely carriage in handling the ladle and sponge doth give great content to standers by”.

FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY

The formation of a permanent regiment of artillery was an important reform brought about by the Duke of Marlborough just before his death in 1716. This completed the work begun nearly 200 years ago by Henry VIII.

The system of disbanding the train of artillery as soon as a war was over, although economical, was military unsound. However, the advisability of forming a permanent regiment was apparently not brought home until the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, when it took so long to form a train that the rebellion was over before the train was ready.

On 26 May 1716, therefore, two companies of artillery were created by Royal Warrant. These companies were commanded by captains and quartered at Woolwich near the gun factory. Each company consisted of two lieutenants, two lieutenant fire-workers, three sergeants, three corporals, three bombardiers, thirty gunners and fifty mattrosses. No drivers or horses were included in the establishment, as these needs were supplied by civilians: or were there any specific guns for the companies were expected to perform garrison or field duties as required.

It is to the Duke of Marlborough, perhaps, that we may attribute the transition of the gunner from the man of “evil reputation” to one who could take his place with the bravest and most devoted.

More companies were added , and, in 1722, the title “Royal Regiment of Artillery” was conferred, with the foremost artillerymen of the day, Colonel Albert Borgard, a Dane by birth, carried on the tradition established by Marlborough and, “by good organisation and training, laid the foundations on which the regiment has been firmly built and to him and his officers the regiment owes that sense of duty which, when supporting other arms, keeps the guns firing up to the very last round as long as a gunner remains alive to load”.

RIGHT OF THE LINE

The excellent work achieved by the gunner in the war between the French and the English (1742 – 1748) led to his acceptance as part of the large brotherhood of the army. A more material gesture was the granting in 1756 of the privilege of taking that ancient post of honour, the right of the line, on all parades. This tradition has survived to the present day.

This derived no doubt, from the old practice of always leading the guns into action on the right-hand side of the infantry battalions. The latter always formed up for battle with the senior battalion or cavalry unit, which had the greatest claim to the support of the guns, on the right.

ARTILLERY MOTTO

By 1882, in spite of occasional periods of unpopularity, the artillery could claim a long and glorious record of battle honours. Each wore its own individual battle honours, but by 1883 these had become so numerous that the word “UBIQUE” (“everywhere”) was used to replace them. At the same time, the privilege of bearing the Royal Arms over a gun with the motto “QUO FAS ET GLORIA DU CUNT” (“whither right and glory lead”) was granted by William IV and eventually replaced the original Board of Ordnance badge. The gun, probably a 9 pr, was designed after one used at Waterloo.

THE NUMBER ONE AND HIS RAMMER

A tradition in general use until fairly recently, and still applied in modified form in at least one South African unit, was the Gun No One’s practice of hitting with his rammer any member of his gun detachment who had failed to perform a duty satisfactorily.

This traditional “chiding” is a relic of the days when guns were swabbed out after each round fired in order to extinguish any smouldering powder remaining in the bore or chamber. As an additional precaution one of the men placed his thumb over the vent when the gun was rammed to prevent the rush of air causing any remaining small spark to flare up and ignite the new powder charge.

This action was known as “serving the vent”. If the gunner failed to perform this duty, the No 1 hit him over the head with his rammer.

THE GUNNER OFFICER

Many years ago, officers were always healthy young gentlemen of good birth who were able to purchase commissions in the regiments of their choice. They could pay their way up to Captain or even Lieutenant-Colonel before the age of twenty-one, giving the barest minimum of attention to military duties.

From the start, it had been the custom to promote artillery officers from the ranks because of the specialised knowledge required from them. Even in the 18^th century, gunnery was a science and gunner officers had to be prepared for really intensive study in order to acquire grounding in mathematics, ballistics, chemistry, personnel management and horse management as well as many other subjects. As a result, the artillery tended to attract men of a different stamp from those of the dashing and socially conscious cavalry and infantry regiments.

In the social climate of those days, artillery officers and gunners in general, were cold-shouldered. Distrust of the artillery as a body of pampered specialists persisted until the early 20^th century. This prejudice may have encouraged the gunner’s feeling of superiority.

BATMEN OR SERVANTS

Unlike cavalry and infantry officers, the artillery officer has always preferred to look after himself without the help of a servant. An order of 1740 provided that “no subaltern officer is for the future to have a servant out of one of the companies .........”

The dangerous nature of the early gunpowder necessitated strict discipline in order to avoid accidents although discipline in general has always been strict in artillery units.

A tradition unique to gunners is that they never walk but run, elbows bent and arms held against the chest.

ARTILLERY COLOURS

The gun symbolises battle. It makes a loud noise, spews out flames and kills men by the score. As a sculpture in metal, it strikes the eye with a sinister impact. All bodies of fighting men rally same object – an eagle, a banner or the colours – what gradually comes to possess magical and totemistic characteristics. To carry the colours or to die in their defence was honour, and to lose them was a disgrace. Gunners of all nations invest their pride and trust in the gun itself, upon which they rally and which, as a point of honour, must be prevented at all costs from falling intact into the hands of the enemy.

The guns are the standards or colours of the artillery and other arms are to treat them in the same manner as infantry colours. Troops on guard duty should present arms whenever a troop of manned and dressed guns is towed passed them.

The gun is thus treated with veneration and respect. It is cleaned, polished, oiled and looked after with care. No effort is to be spared in the duty of maintaining the gun. Even in the heat of battle, the gunner will maintain it and keep it clean, for to him the gun is the symbol of his superiority to all other corps in the combat service.

Note: Some South African SAA (Fd) units have been awarded “colours”.

THE GUN PARK

Because of the veneration with which the guns are treated, the gun park is always regarded by gunners as the “holy of holies” and kept as clean and tidy as the guns themselves.

In one of the South African units, the gun park is used for the unit’s annual Birthday Church Service.

LANYARDS ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER

“Why do gunners wear lanyards on their right shoulder and not on the left?” This is a question very often asked.

Like all mounted corps and regiments they used to wear their lanyards on the left shoulder, with the jack-knife on the end housed in the top left pocket. This continued until a few years after the end of the Great War (1914 – 1918).

The Depot Royal Artillery was formed at Woolwich in the early 1920’s for the training of recruits, a task previously carried out in other, smaller depots.

In command of the Depot Royal Artillery was Major-General Geoffrey White, an individualist with strong ideas about turn-out and smartness based on practical reasoning.

He noticed that recruits unskilled in rifle drill were apt, when ordering arms from slope, to disarrange the lanyard as the rifle passed down the left shoulder. This also shifted the bandoleer.

In 1924, therefore, he ordered that the lanyard and bandoleer be worn over the right shoulder. Gunners generally adopted the lanyard change, and on the right they have since remained. Since bandoleers had to be altered by a saddler if so worn, they were left unchanged.

It is probable that the left shoulder was originally favoured for the wearing of such accoutrements in order that the sword arm, also used for saluting, should be free from encumbrances such as lanyards and cap-lines.

BLACK BADGES

It is significant that gunner officers and warrant officers all over the world wear black cap and collar badges (South Africans wear gilt or silver). This tradition dates back to the days when gunners were allowed to wear wooden or leather buttons because gun powder continually blackened their brass buttons and badges.

The grenade collar badge is also worn by most artillery forces throughout the word. The detail varies from country to country but the grenade remains the basic design.

CORPSE COLOURS

Red and blue are the traditional colours of the artillery. The significance of this choice is not known, but the earliest record of their use in gunner dress occurs in an inventory for the clothing of a “trayne” dated 1662. In Flanders in 1699, gunners were dressed in crimson coats faced with blue, wearing (in reverse order of prominence) the colours that have been retained to the present day.

THE GUNNER AND THE HORSE

Gunners rely upon horses since the early days of artillery, although civilian drivers and hired horses were used to pull the guns until the formation in 1806 of the corps of Royal Artillery Drivers, which became part of the Royal Artillery after 1815. South African artillery was always mounted and horses were last used in the SA Artillery just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Many South African artillery traditions are attributable to the fact that the SA Artillery remained a mounted corps to the last, such as:

The wearing of the Sam Brown belt by officers and warrant officers.

The wearing of a leather belt by NCO’s, who started to wear webbing only during the last World War.

Note: This practice was discontinued after the issue of a “loose” tunic. Some CF regiments have, however, retained the practice.

The sword knot hangs free.

The phrase “wagon lines” is used instead of a more modern term.

REGIMENTAL TRADITIONS

In the British Army, gunner belongs to a single regiment. The Royal Regiment of Artillery and batteries are grouped together to form regiments as we know them.

Since the formation of the first artillery unit in South Africa in 1857 (The Simonstown Artillery), South Africans have adopted and followed the time-honoured traditions of the world-wide brotherhood of gunners, although at the same time they have developed regimental traditions of their own. For example, the Cape Field Artillery wears overalls instead of trousers with their undress blues in recognition of the days when they were a mounted unit. For the same reason they also order “mount” instead of “embus” or “debus”.

ARTILLERY FLASH

The well-known zigzag flash of the gunner symbolises thunder and lightning. It probably originated from the thunder and flash of a gun, but may also have a bearing upon the story of the Patron Saint of all artillerymen.

SAINT BARBARA (PATRON SAINT OF ARTILLERYMEN)

Saint Barbara is the patron saint of artilleryman and her feast day occurs on the 4^th of December. There are at least three legends about this famous Virgin and Martyr and the best known, of which the first is the most popular are reprinted here.

This beautiful legend shows why the choice of the Virgin and Martyr St Barbara as patroness of artillerymen was appropriate.

Alypius, the Saint’s father, became friendly with a certain fakir during military service in the east, from which he learned many secrets about the use of naphtha and saltpetre. From the same source he also learned how to prepare Bengal lights.

On his return to his native town, Hippo, Alypius devoted his live to the study of chemistry. Barbara received a liberal education, spoke several languages and in addition became deeply interested in her father’s research. Through their united efforts in the laboratory, they discovered an explosive of extraordinary power.

The beauty of Barbara attracted many suitors, but she rejected them all and entered the convent of St Perpetua, founded by St Augustine.

Africa was at that time prey to invasion, and one evening in the summer of 430AD, the Vandals arrived under the walls of Hippo. The town closed its gates and a siege began.

The barbarians dug wide trenches round the city walls and threw into them the dead bodies of men and animals, the slain of their recent conflict. By these means they hoped to overcome the besieged by causing death from fever and plaque.

Alypius, in his hour of need, summoned his daughter from the convent to assist in the defence of the city. While they were placing large jars, filled with a mysterious substance, in position, Alypius was killed by an arrow. Barbara, the sole possessor of her father’s secrets, was called upon to continue the heroic combat.

She ordered the contents of the urns to be poured into the enemy’s trenches. In an instant the substance ignited, the putrid gasses were consumed and the pestilential miasma was dispelled.

During the siege, which lasted 14 months, all the surprise attacks of the enemy were frustrated by the frequent use of Bengal lights, and at intervals incandescent globes of fire were hurled from catapults at the enemy.

After the heroic struggle the besiegers captured the city, and, thirsting for revenge, swarmed into the convent to which Barbara had returned when the city was forced to surrender.

The warrior Saint was prepared for emergencies and had accumulated a quantity of explosives in one of the subterranean passages of the convent.

At the crucial moment, a deafening explosion was heard and both conquerors and vanquished were crushed beneath debris of masonry. Thus the Saint, with her companions, escaped the outrages of a licentious soldiery.

The Gunner – December 1938

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According to another legend, Saint Barbara was the daughter of a rich heathen, Dioscoros, and lived near Helipolis in Egypt about the year 306AD.

Refusing to marry the heathen suitor of her father’s choice, she was incarcerated by him in a tower in which he had constructed a bathroom. He was furious when he returned from a journey and found that his daughter ordered three windows, which depicted the Holy Trinity, to be installed in the tower. On account of this, he got permission from the Prefect of the Province to decapitate his daughter, and so he did.

Dioscoros was killed by a lightning bolt. During the early centuries the called on St Barbara to protect them during thunderstorms and therefore she was the patron saint of gunners.

The similarities between the lightning bolt that killed Dioscoros and the zigzag red line on the gunners tie can easily be seen.

The Gunner – June 1928

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St Barbara was the daughter of Heliopolos. Around 303AD he killed his daughter because she believed in Christ.

When he descended from the mountain where he had decapitated his daughter, he was killed by a ball of fire. Therefore she became the patron saint of the gunsmiths she was called to protect from thunderstorms and gunpowder detonations. They thought she was chosen as the patron saint because the guns exploded when they were fired. Therefore the gunners were always exposed to gunpowder detonations.

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